Linda Meyers (Manhattan) just received word that her essay will be published in Post Road Magazine. “The Spring Line” is a piece Meyers wrote and revised while working with me during a two-week Lexi retreat: “Write & Play in Carmel-by-the-Sea.” She did way more writing than playing, and as a result, has a killer memoir well underway. “The Spring Line” is one part of that. Congratulations, Linda! I could not be happier for you!

2015 FIRECRACKER AWARDS SHORTLISTS

From the announcement:

The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, formerly the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), announced the shortlists for the six categories of the Firecracker Awards. Winners will be announced at a celebration on May 27 at powerHouse Arena in DUMBO.

Presented by CLMP, with the help of the American Booksellers Association (ABA) and a team of publishing professionals, the Firecracker Awards are a renewed and revitalized iteration of the Firecracker Alternative Book Award, originally established in 1996. The Firecrackers seek to celebrate and promote great literary works from independent literary publishers and self-published authors. We’re looking for language that smolders, crackles or explodes on the page. We’re looking for voices we’ve never heard and will never forget. The Firecrackers will spotlight books that make a permanent contribution to our literary culture and introduce them to readers far and wide.

“The Firecrackers celebrate the remarkable literary work making its way to readers through small publishers and self-published authors,” CLMP Executive Director Jeffrey Lependorf said. “We look forward to many new readers discovering these books and magazines as a result.”

Awards will be handed out in 6 categories: Creative Nonfiction; Fiction; Graphic Novel; Magazines; Poetry; and Young Adult.